A word to the wise from a reader at Leland & Dover:"Just wanted to let readers know that our condo was burglarized today, between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Several small, expensive electronics were stolen. A suitcase was emptied and presumably used to transport the stolen goods. Please keep an eye out for any suspicious activity."
im sorry to hear that. this neighborhood is awful.
ReplyDeleteim within a block of you. in the past month, my cars been key'd and my boyfriends jeep broken in to.
i cant wait till my lease is up.
My partner lives in the relatively idyllic area near Sheridan and Winona, and I've noticed a lot of folks have signs in the yard in front of their buildings like
ReplyDelete"We live here. We call the Police' or 'Respect your community'
While this certainly won't stop a burglary, it does send a somewhat united message that eyes are on the look out for criminal behavior.
Ellen, don't give up!
really wish those eyes were watching in broad daylight while my car got key'd... twice.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about that.
ReplyDeleteMay I recommend a dog. They're great company, keep you warm in the winter, help you exercise, and they're good deterrents, especially the ones with an 80-pound bark. :-)
Ellen, I hear 'ya. I'm lucky enough to have a garage space. It's sad to realize that parking on a street up here, has inherent risks.
ReplyDelete(speaking of which, I never hear about 'issues' on our Alderman's street, way north in the land of Oz)
Nonetheless......there's so many good things about Uptown, so hopefully our myopic Alderman doesn't taint your Uptown experience to the point where you feel you have to move.
Sorry to hear about the thieves...so violating. I'm under contract to buy a place down the street. This type of news and its comments make me hesitant.
ReplyDeleteThe Chicago handgun ban (for law abiding citizens) will likely be overturned this summer by the US Supreme Court.
ReplyDeleteIt would not have prevented this unfortunate burglary, but perhaps robbers/sex offenders/ home invaders will be less eager to meander into homes in the middle of the day if they think they might be greated by more than vegan muffins and fair trade coffee (both of which I love).
Jennifer - welcome to the neighborhood. Unfortunately break-ins happen in just about every neighborhood in the city (even in Lakeview and Lincoln Park!). Don't let this deter you from enjoying your new home.
ReplyDeleteAt some point this weekend/Monday my boyfriend's car was stolen from the corner of Montrose and Sheridan, just across from Jake's.
ReplyDeleteJust a heads up to keep a close eye.
Very sorry to hear that. I suppose it could happen anywhere and it helps when neighbors look out for each other and get involved. Things that work in this neighborhood: barking dogs and car alarms! I was just walking by there today and there are always a number of people hanging around the Dover & Leland alley way (South end). I noticed a homeless guy (I know this for a fact and he has been hanging out in the area and Chase park for the past 2 years now) loitering on the North end just near the alley. I know of at least 3 other burglaries in both of those alleys in the past year alone.
ReplyDeleteRemember this anguish at election time and get everyone out to vote for change. There is one big difference between Uptown and other "Relatively idyllic" areas and that is the beast whose name I dare not utter
ReplyDeleteK - my car was also stolen some time Monday evening and yesterday morning. On montrose, just east of clark. They decided to take it for a joy ride and the cops found it yesterday evening on the west side. I guess this was a reoccuring trend this week. *sigh*
ReplyDeletechicagocitizen said...
ReplyDeleteThe Chicago handgun ban (for law abiding citizens) will likely be overturned this summer by the US Supreme Court.
Yes, that's EXACTLY what we need, MORE GUNS on the streets of Uptown. Running gun battles already happen that involve innocent bystanders, so now you want to arm inexperienced homeowners? Seriously?
You realize that more people get killed with their OWN guns then those of intruders?
Also, homes that house guns are MORE likely to be broken into (wait for it)...to steal the guns.
Maybe what we need are more police, more community involvement and a different alder-swine? Less section 8 housing? Less “shelters”? Less “alternative schools”?
Law enforcement continues to say, ironically, that dogs are better protection than guns. I know, not quite as wild west whoop-ass fun as a gun, but then a dog is also less likely kill you.
Just and FYI to try to make you feel better, I moved to Lincon Square area around Damen/Lawrence and my car insurance rates actually went UP from my old place on Magnolia/Wilson...who woulda though???
ReplyDeleteBuzz,
ReplyDeleteIt is a myth and inaccurate interprtation of nebulous statistics to state that "You realize that more people get killed with their OWN guns then those of intruders?"
"Also, homes that house guns are MORE likely to be broken into (wait for it)...to steal the guns." This is also false on many levels. First, where do you get such data? Second, how would burglars know that there are guns in any particular apartment/condo in Uptown. This may be true in a small town where people who are likely to have guns are well known to others (e.g., hunters, cops, people who talk about having guns, etc.).
"Yes, that's EXACTLY what we need, MORE GUNS on the streets of Uptown." I did not recommend that anyone ever take a gun on the streets of Uptown. That would be idiotic and illegal.
"Maybe what we need are more police, more community involvement and a different alder-swine? Less section 8 housing? Less “shelters”? Less “alternative schools”?" On this point, we agree.
PS - Relax
"so now you want to arm inexperienced homeowners?"
ReplyDeleteWho says registered gun owners are "inexperienced?" Most gun owners I know are near gun experts and can shoot a whole lot better than the thugs on the street.
Do you know how to drive your car? Use your stove? How about your blender? Is a gun anymore complicated to use? Is it more lethal? Sure, but then again so could be the creep breaking in to your home.
Why would you assume a legal gun owner would not be able use another tool such as a gun if they can operate the other machinery in their lives?
You need lay off the Mayor Daley/ Joyce Foundation Kool-Aid and admit that the places in this country with the strictest gun bans are the same places the most violence is occurring. They will never get rid of all the guns, the bad guys don't care about your rules. The only people not armed in this city are the people with the most to loose.
Dog Bites Statistics
ReplyDeletehttp://www.onlinelawyersource.com/personal_injury/dog-bite/statistics.html
Dog bite statistics reveal that 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs every year. Of this two percent of the total US population, about 800,000 people seek medical treatment for their dog bite injuries. Most dog bite injuries are not reported to local police or animal control authorities, though dog bite statistics reveal that bite injuries are responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in medical costs each year. Dog bite statistics show that men are twice as likely to be bitten by a dog as women are. According to expert officials, canine bite injuries are the second leading cause of injury to children, who comprise the majority of dog bite victim cases. On average, dog bite statistics show that ten to twenty people are killed every year from dog bite injuries. About sixty five percent of the time these fatal dog bite incidents involve an attack by one dog, about twenty percent involve two dogs, and one sixth of these fatal dog bites involve three or more dogs. More than two thirds of these fatal attacks involve unrestrained dogs on the dog owner’s property. These fatal injuries occur off the owner’s property approximately twenty percent of the time. Fatal dog bites involving restrained animals, on or off the owners'' property, comprise the rest of the fatal dog bite cases. Between the years of 1979 and 1998 more than 300 people were killed by dog bite injuries, according to dog bite statistics. Twenty five different canine breeds have been identified in fatal dog bite accidents. Rottweilers and Pit Bulls account for approximately half of all dog bite related fatalities. However, dog bite statistics reveal that mixed breed canine types are involved in bite injuries more often than pure breeds. Depending on the popularity of particular breeds, dog bite statistics change from year to year and from one part of the country to another. There are certain canine characteristics that dog bite statistics indicate to be most common of dog bite perpetrators. Male dogs and those between the ages of one and five years tend to bite more often than female dogs or dogs that are older than six. Dog bite statistics show that unaltered canines are three times more likely to bite than their spayed or neutered counterparts. Dog bite statistics from the Center for Disease Control have found that a dog that is chained up is almost three times more likely to bite a human being than an unchained dog. According to dog bite statistics, the insurance industry pays out approximately one billion dollars a year for dog bite injury claims. Dog bite injuries account for thirty three percent of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims. If you are the victim of a dog bite injury, you have the legal right to seek compensation for your injuries. Though laws vary from place to place, a dog bite victim always has the right to file a claim against a biting canine’s owner for negligence. When dog bite victims do file a claim, the responsible party’s insurance agency is usually involved in the negotiations. Dog bite statistics show that having a lawyer manage your case greatly increases your chances of maximizing the compensation you receive for dog bite injuries. When they say it's OK to license me for a hand gun I say we petition for Pit Bull/ Rottweiller training, licenses and insurance.
I have lived all over this great beautiful City. Born on the West side grew up on the South side, now live on the North side.
ReplyDeleteGuess what? If you live in any society there are going to be problems like the disparate society strata, i.e. poor people middle class people, wealthy people. As long as you have some who have and have not you will have crime. Any of you check out the neighborhood you moved into, before you moved into it? This isn't Keokuk Iowa. Its CHICAGO. I'm appalled at the attitude of the newly landed people in Uptown, or anywhere for that matter. Sure you have the right to live anywhere you want, but people who don't have your mobility, don't have that luxury. And as long as any society measures its worth in money and possessions those things will be taken from you, by your own indifference or by force.
Hey here's an idea, how about working to solve the great divide in society. This is a participatory society, get up out of your easy chair, your big screen TV and your imported car, coffee, whatever and go out and do something about it. Stop your whining and do something about it. Grow up it's a messy world. Hey Ellen stand your ground, show 'em what you're made of. My garage was broken into last January, stole a $1,000 snow blower I used to blow the snow off of the sidewalk, not just my sidewalk but the whole block. Sure I was pissed, but I'm not moving! I put a better lock on my garage and have an alarm on it too. And when the hand gun ban is lifted I just might arm myself, but with any new tool you get, you better learn how to use it. And you dog owners here a little something for you.
Handguns are extremely difficult to shoot with any accuracy beyond a few yards. I carried 3 different model handguns while in the Army and in this instance I know of what I speak.
ReplyDeleteMy personal home defense weapon is my patchouli stink.
If that doesn't work and Chip Douglas breaks into my place with the intent of stealing my flat screen TV and having his way with me I would utilize my legally registered shotgun. Which I keep in a rifle safe. Ain't nuthin like the sound of a round being jacked into a shotgun to get an intruder to wet his Batman underoos.
There are even legal ways around the handgun ban in Chicago. Take the short course and become an armed security guard. Legally you are only supposed to carry said weapon while at work or going to or from work, but who is to say when you go to and from work?
Plus you would obviously keep the handgun at home.
I'm not a 2nd Amendment nut, but remember the cops are at best minutes away when you may need them in seconds.
Churchill said "you either have an Army or you have someone else's".
Unfortunately, gun ownership is something similar.
gsrgrl023 - That gives me a glimmer of hope that his might turn up. It's such a beater I can't imagine it would be good for anything.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear it happened to you, but glad you got it back.
@chicagocitizen, @chipdouglas
ReplyDeleteThe stats on gun crimes comes from the DOJ, The National Criminal Justice Reference Service, The Brookings Institute, National Association of Chiefs of Police...among others
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/topics/crime/gun-violence/other.htm
About one-fourth of adults personally own a firearm; this finding includes 42 percent of men and 9 percent of women.
Women, however are much more likely to be vicitms of gun crime
(from 1990 to 2005, two-thirds of spouse and ex-spouse homicide victims were killed by guns) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/topics/crime/gun-violence/affected.htm
Gun ownership is also most prevalent among middle-aged, middle-class white men from rural areas.
Adults who have been arrested for a non-traffic offense are more likely to own a firearm than are other adults.
About one in five of all gun-owning households keep a loaded and unlocked gun in the home.
About one in six handguns are kept on the owner's person or in a motor vehicle http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=171638
These are just a few facts. So, what do you have, besides opinions?
I know that the gun funded, gun lobby will poo poo the stats, and thats fine.
But here's a man-on-the-street poll. Walk up to 25 people at, I dunno, Jewel, or the El and ask them what they think about flooding our already crime-ridden streets with MORE guns. Or ask the CPD. Or the FBI.
Better yet, run for alderman and tell everyone in Uptown that a major plank in your platform is more guns.
Good luck with that one.
Miss Kitty-Thanks for the welcome!
ReplyDeleteBuzz: "These are just a few facts. So, what do you have, besides opinions?"
ReplyDeleteAnd none of those facts backup any of the claims you made.
And to be open-minded here. Chicago has the strictest gun control in the nation AND IT ISN'T WORKING.
More gun laws aren't going to keep guns out of the hands of the criminals already using them.
So at the very least, allowing citizens to their Constitutional Right (yes, as the SCOTUS has said...) can't possibly make the crime situation worse, since everyone who's going to rush out to buy a gun was already following the law by NOT having one, right?
Buzz,
ReplyDeleteYou need to relax...maybe pet your pooch or something.
Where are your stats to show that "more people get killed with their OWN guns then those of intruders"? Where are your stats to show "homes that house guns are MORE likely to be broken into (wait for it)...to steal the guns." I realize that basic data exist, but nothing you referenced supports your "opinions." Again, how would the presence of a gun in a home in Uptown increase the liklihood of it being burglarized? How would any burglar know there is a gun in the home, unless the homeowner is an imbecile. Might a burglar look for or take a gun during the act? Sure, much like they look for cash, jewlery, computers, etc.
Why would I ask anyone at Jewel what they think about gun ownership? Why should I care what they think? Why don't you ask any Chicgo cop - off the record - what they think? Or, better yet, why don't you ask your local gangbanger for his insights.
I was not recommending that anyone do anything. I was commenting on what I will do after the handgun ban (which does absolutely NOTHING to prevent criminals from having guns) is overturned. Your joke/comment on running for alderman on a pro-gun platform is, well, simply idiotic.
What do I have besides opinions? Well, I have a good friend who on 1/13/10 used his legally registered gun to "stop" a three time convicted sex offender who was crawling through his ground floor window with a knife and duct tape. I doubt my friend, or the former offender, thought too much about statistics at the time.
Go for a walk or sip some tea.
Hmm.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/05/off-duty-cop-kills-burglary-suspect-in-chatham.html
You can own a gun in the city. You just can't load it. You can't discharge it. You can't...well you can do all these things if you just throw it away after you've used it.
Some idiots on the red line at Lawrence just tried to convince me I broke "they baby carriage" because my backpack brushed against it. I walked away, hard
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry. I remember when my car was stolen in the neighborhood. It was like I just couldn't get it clean enough again because it was so creepy knowing some sweaty slime ball was in my space. Finally my Mom had to disinfect it for me. Mom's can do that and make things all better again,
ReplyDeletetruthbearer-
ReplyDeletemy apartment was the one that was broken into. It really is hard to go about trying to live/relax in your personal space knowing that some criminal rummaged/touched so many things. With time, I suppose I'll start feeling more comfortable.
"simply idiotic" really, have we been reduced to name calling? An excellent representation of your capabilities, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteYou want more guns on the streets, you want to tout how guns make the neighborhood safer? How about this one: Man shoots neighbor after puppy pees on his lawn.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-lawn-killer-0512-20100511,0,412660.story
His having a gun certainly made HIS neighborhood safer, no?
Americans are armed to the freaking TEETH and yet we STILL have the highest homicide rate of any western nation. So I guess that proves your theory of guns = protection is whack.
Clearly, more people with more guns in Uptown isn’t the answer. Show me how it possible could be!?
While other western nations have a different cultural heritage, in countries such as Great Britain or Japan, gun crime is virtually unheard of. They still have crime, but people are not dying from gun crimes.
In countries like Switzerland, where in fact citizens are required to be familiar with the use of firearms due to their mandatory military training, again, gun crime is minimal. That’s a safety and regulation issue. But God forbid we tell anyone they are not qualified to own a gun because they are blind (in Texas, the blind can legally own a gun)or crazy?
However here, we maintain a frontier justice mentality due to the 2nd amendment. Everyone seems to ignore the first part of "well regulated militia" and hang on the "right to bear arms."
The perceived right own guns is killing us. Its killing our kids, our lovers and our neighbors.
"Why would I ask anyone at Jewel what they think about gun ownership?"
Because they are you neighbors and have the right as taxpayers and voters to have input on this, or do they?
"Why should I care what they think? Why don't you ask any Chicgo cop - off the record - what they think?"
Because cops are more familiar with gun crime, in real numbers, in Uptown than you?
"Or, better yet, why don't you ask your local gang banger for his insights"
Yeah, that gang banger comment is a perfect example of well reasoned thought. Not unlike that whole dog bite story.
Dogs dont kill people. You can't use a swimming pool to kill someone (another cause of death)These straw man arguements come up all the time. Nice try.
And for every "good friend who used his legally registered gun to "stop" a three time convicted sex offender" I can find you 3 kids under the age of 5 who died playing with unsecured guns. And even greater numbers of wives/girlfriends who died THAT SAME DAY at their hands of a man.
Getting more guns off the streets of Uptown and putting more cops on the streets of Uptown is the answer.
Buzz,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that there should be less guns on the streets of Uptown, and Chicago. That being said, I have no problem with law abiding, responsible citizens keeping a legally registered firearms for home protection.
I have had many conversations with Chicago police officers who say without hesitation that a well controlled, well practiced gun is the only way to protect one's home.
By the way, Buzz, I am a dog loving liberal. But I am also a realist. Again, I advise you to relax a bit and not take things, or yourself, so seriously.
That's the same MO used by the thief who robbed us last year -- he/she stole electronics and cash and a ratty old backpack to carry it all in. We live at Sunnyside and Clarendon.
ReplyDelete@chicagocitizen
ReplyDeleteYou simply just don’t get it. The facts are clearly against you. More guns just DO NOT equal less crime or more protection, the numbers simply aren’t there. If you think they are, please prove it.
The numbers that are there tell us that guns in homes kill more people who live in those homes, i.e. women and kids than intruders.
"I have had many conversations with Chicago police officers who say without hesitation that a well controlled, well practiced gun is the only way to protect one's home."
Seriously, who's idea of "well controlled" or "well practiced" are we talking about? Because I can tell you exactly the way this goes down:
Your next door neighbor gets robbed, or assaulted, and suddenly we think "if I only had a gun."
Because, in spite of the fact that a "well controlled" firearm really means things like a trigger lock, a locked gun container and storing ammunition separately from the weapon, you and you alone are the *one* person on the planet who, in the middle of the night, is going to be able to:
a) find the box,
b)find the key to the box,
c) find the key to the trigger lock
d) find the ammo and
e) load it..
Under extreme panic because THINK you MIGHT have heard someone breaking into your house, garage, front lobby...
Because you either aren’t securing it really, putting you and everyone else in the house at risk OR you have super human powers and can perform all these tasks, in the dark because you have practiced them.
But no, that’s not the way it works. People buy these things, maybe take a class, but most often don’t because you don’t have to, then they load the thing, stick it in their underwear drawer and go to bed thinking they are "protected"...
Till your kid finds it, plays with it and it goes off.
Till you come home and find you lover practicing position 24 from the Kama Sutra and you get the gun out to scare them, someone goes for it and you and or they end up dead.
And this "don’t take yourself so seriously" BS is just offensive. Guns are a serious issues and the second most common cause of death among white men 18-34 after accidents and in other segments, black men 18-24, the most.
When someone you love gets killed with a gun, you'll take this a whole lot more serious too.
Apparently you have that luxury. A lot of people don’t, including me.
And before you write me off as someone with a broken heart with no ability to see the facts, let me make this perfectly clear
I have no problem with gun owners such as hunting, sport or target activities. Because serious gun owners live by safety rules and enforce them. But they arent the killers and they arent the dead.
It's the rest of the world that scares the pants off me.
Sleep well.
Here you go Buzz. More "ammo" for your self-righeous bleeding heart misstatements. You have strong opinions, but you seem to know very little of what you spout.
ReplyDeleteChicago's handgun ban does NOTHING to stop crime. It only impacts law abiding citizens who actually adhere to society's regulations. If someone breaks into your home, would you rather have a legally registered weapon or would you rather not. I know my answer as well as yours. Good for both of us.
Take care.
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/05/daley-talks-gun-control-in-advance-of-supreme-court-ruling.html